'World War Z' Producer Teams With Music Industry Veteran on New Company

Tim Headington ('Argo,' 'Hugo') is launching Ley Line Entertainment with Theresa Steele Page, who played a key role in overseeing the early careers of Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Justin Timberlake and Backstreet Boys.

Producers Tim Headington (World War Z) and Theresa Steele Page are teaming up to launch Ley Line Entertainment, a content development, production and financing company with projects spanning film, TV, theater and music.

Over the years, the duo has been involved in all areas of the entertainment business. On the film front, Headington financed and produced such films as The Young Victoria, Argo, Hugo and World War Z. Page hails from the music industry, where she played a key role in overseeing the early careers of Britney Spears, 'N Sync, Justin Timberlake and Backstreet Boys.

Ley Line already has a promising slate, with Paul Harrill’s upcoming Sundance 2019 NEXT entry Light From Light, which Headington and Page produced with the Sailor Bear trio of David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks and James M. Johnston alongside Elisabeth Moss and Kelly Williams. Light From Light stars Marin Ireland and Jim Gaffigan.

Ley Line is also co-financing and co-producing Lowery’s next film, The Green Knight, a retelling of the classic English tale "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight," along with A24 and Bron.

“We started this company in order to foster both new and established talent while telling unique and meaningful stories across a broad range of mediums,” said Headington. “I’m looking forward to embarking on a long and creative partnership with Theresa.”

Added Page: “Tim and I have diverse and complementary professional backgrounds and artistic tastes. I feel really good about the current lineup of projects we have and I’m excited to find and support the next generation of artists.”

Their first stage production is an untitled musical — set to the international megahits of Max Martin — to be announced in January of 2019 and opening in the West End the following November. The company’s next stage project will be an adaptation of Brian Selznick’s novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, with an eye toward a 2021 West End release. (The book also served as the basis for Martin Scorsese's Hugo, which Headington called "one of the projects I’ve remained the most fond of in my career, and I still feel a deep personal attachment to the story.") Selznick is currently writing the libretto for the musical.

Also on the Ley Line slate is an as-yet-untitled bio-doc of musician Brian Wilson from director Brent Wilson (no relation), which Ley Line financed and produced. Executive produced by Brian and Melinda Wilson, the film follows the legendary Beach Boys co-founder as he has in-depth, intimate conversations with his old friend and Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine. Featuring new and classic music, the film is in postproduction and is slated for a 2019 release.

Other upcoming projects include The Mercy of Thin Air, based on the novel by Ronlyn Domingue, which the company has optioned and is developing, and a film based on the award-winning indie game Pinstripe by Atmos Games.